Bosom-expander



UNTTED sTATEs PATENT orriei.

D. M. CHURCH AND C. H. ELLSWORTH, OF BIRMINGHAM, CONNECTICUT.

BOSOM-EXPANDER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,155, dated May 8, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, D. M. CHURCH and C. H. ELLsWoRTH, both of Birmingham, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Bosom-Expander; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, represents a perspective view of the expander, showing the form and construction of the same. F ig. 2, represents a sectional view of the same when applied to a person.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

The object of this invention is to give a full and graceful swell to the chests or bosoms of persons whose chests are naturally flat, so that the shirt and vest may have a handsome and neat fit. It will be found specially useful for soldiers, who, at present use cotton, &c,. for expanding their bosoms articially, which is at certain seasons very warm and uncomfortable.

Our invention consists in a peculiar arrangement of bows of cane, whalebone, metal or other suitable flexible strips united together so as to form a convex, heartshaped frame covered with any suitable material so as to possess elasticity and flexibility, and provided with suitable hooks and loops for attaching the same to the body, all arranged, combined, and serving the purpose hereinafter described and represented.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand our invention we will proceed to describe its construction and use.

In the drawings A is a reed, whalebone or other suitable material covered and bent in the shape of a heart, with the two ends fastened together at the bottom. This frame A is shown in Fig. l, in red lines. To this frame are suitably attached the ends of strips -B and C. These strips cross each other and are connected together at their points of intersection by metal clasps a, and any suitablel number may be employed according to the stiffness required to be given.

The frame A is covered with silk, cotton, or other material and if necessary for warmth, a double thickness of material may be secured to the frame to form the back and thickly wadded, but for warm weather a single thickness will be found sufiicient. This back serves to keep the frame and bows in shape.

b, b, are hooks projecting from the frame A over which, each side of the shirt bosom is hooked and c is a hook sewed to the bottom of the expander, for keeping thebosom from working up when the expander is on.

d is a loop for keeping the expander in place when applied to the body. y

The manner of applying this expander to the body, is to placeit between the shirt bosom, and adjust it to a suitable position, and then stretch the bosom so that it will lay smoothly, and attach each side to hooks b Zn and the bottom part of the bosom to hook c. The loop d is then attached to the under clothing in such a way that the expander will not be liable to work out of place. The vest is then buttoned up and the bosom will have a gentle swell or curve, from the neck to the waist, giving the appearance of a naturally formed chest or bosom.

In summer such a device will be found very convenient and comfortable for keeping the clothing oif from the body and allowing a free circulation of air to the chest. It will be useful to persons who perspire very freely, for keeping t-he shirt dry and unsoiled. It can be readily applied or removed, and can be made and sold for a comparative trifle.

Having t-hus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent as an improved article of manufacture 1s- A bosom expander composed of strips A, B, C, hooks b, b, c, loops d, and otherwise made as herein shown and described.

D. M. CHURCH. C. H. ELLSVVORTH.

Witnesses:

WILSON I-I. SMITH, A. B. GLovER. 

